Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Dorothy Brown was one of twelve children to Scottish parents David Laughland Brown (1839-1907) and Marion Wight (1851-1928). Her father was a prominent Queensland merchant, having developed a large domestic and international trading enterprise.

A trained nurse, she was working at the Brisbane Children’s Hospital when she enlisted with the Australian Army Nursing Service as a Staff Nurse in April 1915. Nurse Brown embarked for the Middle East in May 1915 and served at Lemnos treating the wounded from Gallipoli. She developed beri beri towards the end of 1915 and was later evacuated to England. Returning to duty in September 1916, she was appointed to hospitals in England and France.

In May 1917 she was promoted to Sister with the 2nd Australian General Hospital and later transferred to the 3rd Australian General Hospital. It was during this period that she met Captain Eric William Gregg Wren of the 3rd Battalion A.I.F. who had suffered a severe wound to his right arm at Pozieres resulting in its amputation. He was invalided to Australia in early September 1917 and soon after Sister Dorothy Brown resigned from the Australian Army Nursing service, advising she intended to marry.

Dorothy Brown and Eric Wren were married at St Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Brisbane on 27 August 1918. They were to have two sons, Eric (1919-1995) and Ian (1924-2012), both of whom served during the World War II, whilst Ian also served in Korea. Her husband Eric, died suddenly in 1941, shortly after enlisting for service in World War II.

Dorothy Brown’s brother Archibald Lorrimer Brown (1884-1935) served during the Boer War and with the 15th Battalion during World War I. He was taken prisoner of war at Gueudecourt in September 1917, being repatriated to Australia in early 1919. Her sister, Ruby Davina Mary Brown (1877-1947) was a member of the Australian Army Nursing Service from August 1916 and served in the Middle East and Salonika before returning home in September 1919.

Sister Dorothy Brown died at Townsville in 1970 at the age of 83.

References:

https://www.anzac-biographies.com/2017/06/07/wren-captain-eric-william-gregg-cdeg-fr/

http://brackenridgehistory.blogspot.com/2016/04/brs-10-scottish-families-of-bracken.html

http://www.illawarraremembers.com.au/node/8845